My Secret Hotel ep 2: Where Ex Meets Oh!

Helllloooooo!!!!  I am so very excited to be here with you.  It has been several (okay, like 8ish) months since I have picked up my recap pen and graced you with my opinion on a drama. Work, life, and all have been all nutty and crazy and severely interfering with my drama-watching time, let alone my talking about drama time. I’ve become a slightly better juggler though after these past few months, and with the great motivator that was KCON behind me, I’m ready to give this a shot once more! And what a fun drama to jump back in with! KMuse and I will be recapping and chatting with you all about My Secret Hotel together. This will be a slightly different format than we have ever tried before, but she’ll take one episode per week and I’ll do the other. Should be fun! I’m looking forward to it and hope you are too!

Okay, so, let’s talk drama drama drama, shall we?

Imagine your ex planning your wedding. Not your wedding with her/him, but your wedding with your new fiancé. Can we say “awkward”? Awkward to say the least. There are obviously some unresolved issues and feelings here, but more on that later. Or now. Now works too. Episode two starts out where we left off on one (obviously). Ex is about to cancel the venue, realizing that there are too many feels involved here to go through with it. That is, until he overhears the gossip going around the hotel that she is marrying the hotel director. This upsets him (hey, jealousy!) and he turns around and rips up the cancelation document, instead declaring that the wedding is back on and they aren’t going anywhere. This brings up a point that I’m sure will keep coming up as we continue, so I may as well address it now and get it over with. If these first two episodes are any indication, it looks like this will be one of those dramas where, at least on the romance side of things, things will be steered in wrong directions by misunderstandings and severe lack of communication. Assumptions, rumors and misunderstandings are obviously main issues going on between our two leads here and causing all sorts of interferences and unnecessary complications. These are two crazy kids that need to have a sit down and hash things out. Quickly. Before I lose my mind. And yes, it’s all about me here. ;)

Alright, so… what is up with that serious creeper guy?  You know who I’m talking about, right? The employee that’s never there, yet when he does show up, he’s wiping off his trusty ice pick. Yes, ice pick. That looks suspiciously like it is covered in blood.  Ice. Pick.  Creep. E.  At one point we get to see a little of what he does with said ice pick. Because apparently it is an accessory that he always has with him, including while playing a little poker. Lose at poker? No big deal, so long as you have your trusty ice pick. He literally stabs the hand of the winner as the winner is collecting his winnings. While winner is pinned down, Mr Picky goes right on ahead and collects all the winnings for himself. Bloody bills and all.  Uh…. Ew.  It’s as if the writers want to make sure that we understand that this guy is seriously twisted and going to be the “bad guy” of the story. Message read loud and clear, dear writers.  However, the message is also communicated that he is not alone in his “bad guy” status. No, it appears that there is some sort of conspiracy and that some high up guy at the company is part of it as well.  I’m thinking some sort of mob kind of stuff. But maybe that’s just me. What do you think? We don’t get a lot of info yet, just that there is a relationship and a conspiracy between these two men. A conspiracy that involves some sort of break in at the Director’s office. We don’t know yet what was taken, if anything, except for maybe a picture? of whatever he was looking for and consequently found. It is safe to say that we will get more on all of this side story as we go along, but for now, the seeds of discovery are being planted. One last thing of interest that I want to point out with Mr Mobster Ice Picky guy is that he has figured out that our leads were once married thanks to a little eavesdropping. Not only that, but he offers to create some sort of distraction in order to stop the wedding. Yeah, totally not a mobster.  Pffft. He may as well be reading out of the How to be a Mobster handbook.

Speaking of conspiracies…  something is up with the Director and the history of his father’s death. We learn from him that his father passed away 30 years ago when he was only 5 years old. He has no memories of his father as he was so young. But his dad worked for this hotel which is why he himself is there now, in essence, following in his father’s footsteps. At the end of the episode though, he gets a mysterious note delivered to him that claims that his father was murdered. Looks like our Secret Hotel holds many secrets indeed.

Okay, so that’s the murder mystery side of our murder mystery rom com (fabulous combo by the way, don’t you think?). How about we spend a little more time with the rom com that was in this episode? There was some good stuff here. How about the part where the soon-to-be-weds are touring the honeymoon suite and the groom is obviously distracted and not as excited and filled with eager anticipation on his wedding night as his bride? One might even argue that his “disinterest” could be better described as “disgust”.  But maybe that’s just me projecting my own feels about this girl he is about to marry. *shrug*  I about died when she pinned him down on the bed (woo! How often do we see such behavior in dramas?!) and he literally threw her to the floor when his ex calls him. If that’s not telling as to where both women stand in his heart, then I don’t know what is.

And then there was the wedding rehearsal. Whoa. Feels exploding all over the place! We get a flashback to their wedding and we see the contrast between the two. One was wild and free and filled with emotion, the other picture-perfect but lifeless. But again, probably just my projections again. I tend to do that. That whole entire scene though had me breathless and desperate for these two ex-love birds to work it all out and for the obnoxious fiancé to go bye-bye. Suddenly a falling dead body on the wedding aisle seems like a pretty cool thing. Not that I would condone something like that. I’d rather they just sit down for some coffee and a little heart-to-heart. But if a dead body is what it’s going to take to stop this stupid façade of a wedding from happening, then I’ll take it. I’m getting ahead of myself though. This is the rehearsal and is dead body free. Just torturous angst-filled instead as man and woman with unresolved feelings of desire stand in a room and relive their own memories while the man prepares to wed another. Agh! The looks and emotions and just the everything about it all was crazy intense. Our lead gal thought so too as she went running from the room to have a good cry in the ladies’ room.

There were also those occasions in this episode where he went running after or back for her. Like after he left her standing there on the road (you know, after she decked him hard on the chin haha!). He’s upset and mad, but then he gets worried and before we know it, he’s making a U-turn and searching all over for her. There’s his inner monologue at that point convincing himself that there is no way she would have waited for him, after all, she didn’t wait for him 7 years ago either. Aha! A clue! A clue as to what happened in their past that killed their marriage in its infancy. Then there is the scene where he goes running to the hotel to find her late one night, only to discover she is outside laughing with the Director. Misunderstanding what is going on there (shocker), he gives up and walks off. Ugh. Stahp already. Yes, I know we’re only in ep 2 and have a loooong way to go yet, but I am so impatient when it comes to this misunderstanding stuff. Seriously, if this continues to be such a big and long-lasting issue between these two, I may just not make it through this drama. There’s only so much I can handle before I just lose it. Talk, people!!! TALK!!!!  It’s easy.  “Hey, so… I still love you”.  “Hey, that’s cool cuz I still love you too”.  “How about I not get married?” “Sounds good. You shouldn’t. She’s annoying anyway”.  “Yeah, she really is. And she’s a poor substitute for you.” “Aww, baby, that’s so sweet!” *kiss kiss kiss* *fade to black* Simple as that. I should totally write these scripts.

Okay, okay. So, what did I miss from this episode? Did I cover your favorite parts? Did I miss anything important plot-wise? What do you think of this drama so far in its debut week? Like it? Love it? On the fence about it? Ready to smack a couple of knuckle-headed lovesick kids around with me? Let's do this!

Hey guys, thanks for reading. No, really, thank you. I have missed this so very much and if it weren't for your encouragement, I may have not been able to make it happen again. Kamsahamnida!

Also, shhh...I'm posting this while at work, you know, like at my real job, so the pictures will have to come later when I am home with them and can sift through the 600 or so screenshots that I took. I just am too impatient to wait and want to get this up now. 8 months of waiting and I'm done ;)

~Dongsaeng~ 

My Love From Another Star ep 10 "Just a Girl, Standing In Front of an Alien..."

I have good news, and I have bad news.  Bad news is that I am way way way behind on all of my dramas, including this one, having just finished last week's episode today and with no idea when I'll get to this week's episodes.  The good news is that I'm so far behind because I've been having a freaking amazing time hanging out with real for real Koreans in real life.  There are 4 kids visiting my son's Taekwondo master for the month and this past 3-day weekend, we had the opportunity to travel with them all to Los Angeles.  KTown LA, Hollywood, Orange County, the beach, and tons of fantastic Korean food and treats.  It really was a fabulous trip, which, as I mentioned is great news for me (hey, it beats being sick or out for other less awesome reasons), but bad news for my drama viewing.

Did I mention that I was at Huntington Beach where they filmed the first part of Heirs????  I was in fangirl heaven!

What made it even better was when I saw the restaurant, you know, this one here...

and turned around to try and explain to one of the new friends, Ji Hae, who loves dramas (woohoo! Best friends for LYFE, right Jihae???), that that was where Park Shin Hye's character's sister worked in the drama, blah blah blah, but it turned out that eye contact was all we needed.  No words.  Just catching each others' eye and simultaneously letting out a huge "SQUEEEEE!!!!!!!!"  It was magical.  See what dramas can do?  They can bridge culture gaps and language barriers in one fell swoop.  Someone should notify like the UN or something, maybe they could find it useful.

Okay, okay, okay...I could go on and on about this, but it has nothing to do with the actual reason we are all gathered here today, so I will put it on the back burner, save it for another time and place and move on with writing this review (if for no other reason than I have to finish it so that I can watch this week's episodes).  Ready?  Let's go!

This episode was mostly focused on rising suspicions.  Suspicions surrounding Do Min Joon and his origins.  Suspicions building around the death of Han Yoo Ra.  Suspicions of a developing crush.  And so on and so forth.  First, we begin by dealing with just what is up with Min Joon.  Hee Kyung and Song Yi both confront him about odd discoveries they've made - Hee Kyung regarding whether or not Min Joon was the one that saved Song Yi 12 years ago and just so happens to appear exactly the same as he did back then, and Song Yi regarding the shard of headlight she found in his garbage can from when he saved her from careening off the cliff in her car.  He artfully dodges both, but something tells me that they aren't completely pacified.  I mean, where's the fun in that, huh?

So, just how creepy is our bad guy, Jae Kyung?  Pretty darn creepy.  So creepy that even little brother Hee Kyung is starting to get a weird vibe.  As Min Joon starts to look into it further by watching this mysterious USB drive that seems to be of particular interest to the bad guy, some kind of creepy things are hinted at, like the disappearance of an ex-wife.  Is it just me, or did Han Yoo Ra seem to be intentionally recording this conversation.  Could she have possibly suspected something was off about her would-be-husband-and-baby-daddy-turned-murderer?  Things are starting to get dangerous for our alien friend as the plot thickens and he gets deeper and deeper involved.

Do Min Joon isn't alone in his troubles.  Song Yi is having to face a reality of a different kind - her rapidly dwindling finances in the face of her career going down the toilet thanks to the whole Han Yoo Ra business.  She begins to do the unthinkable - sell off her "babies", i.e. her collection of designer bags.  She attempts to make a deal with a boutique, but when she is rebuffed there, takes her "babies" to the internet.  She takes photos of herself with each item and posts them.  Hilariously enough, poor Min Joon is unknowingly dragged into the whole affair when she lists his number as the contact.  He has no idea why suddenly calls start flooding in asking about the bags, discounts, and so forth.  The dude has got to be crazy about her, because any guy not totally smitten would have blown up over something like that I'm sure.  I just loved how it showed the humor not only possessed by Song Yi, but shared between the two of them.

It doesn't just end with the bags though.  Oh no.  Do Min Joon is further dragged into Song Yi's financial business when she takes him along to negotiate with her former agency.  The scene where she asks for his help is actually rather touching, she admitting that she isn't fierce enough to handle it on her own and that they would soon see that.  It's a moment of weakness and vulnerability that makes her all the more likeable.  We see her human side, her frailties as opposed to her brashness and pigheadedness.  Turns out that asking him along was a brilliant idea, because not only does he help her save face, but he finds some nice little things in the contract that work to her advantage.  Even after the meeting, he continues to save the day.  While there at the agency, Song Yi bumps into Se Mi and her entourage.  The five of them sit down to a very awkward conversation and ends with Do Min Joon escorting an injured Song Yi out of the mire.  He's so good at protecting her in so many varied ways.  <3

Grateful for his help, a still vulnerable Song Yi asks Do Min Joon to stay with her.  He is the only one around her that she trusts.  He of course responds by further pushing her away and even telling her that he won't always be able to be there for her and she should look elsewhere and not lean on him.  Her response to him pushing her away?  She begins to look for any way, shape, or form that she can keep him close.  When she returns home she finds that her mother has left some kimchi there for her and her brother.  She gets all excited because certainly everyone knows that such things as kimchi must be shared with neighbors - it's only proper after all.  She pushes little brother to take the box of kimchi next door, but is disappointed when he comes back with an uninteresting report.  So, she cooks up another reason to visit - she absolutely must have her beloved kimchi box back, don't you know?  But, does she just go over and fetch the box?  Of course not.  This involves an outfit change, makeup and hair done up.  I love how she just keeps clinging and won't take no for an answer.  On anyone else it would probably be pathetic and annoying, but on her it fits and is so very cute and adorable.

PS - did you notice the ET reference???

Her obsession grows to the point when even she is forced to take notice of it and come to realize that she has developed a crush on the sexy alien next door.  And then this next scene - the balcony confession. Anyone else get the serious Notting Hill/Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts vibe here?  Famous actress, "regular Joe" (only our regular Joe obviously isn't so regular) - actress falls for the regular guy and confesses awkwardly to him.  I could practically hear Song Yi saying, "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, telling him she likes him" or however the actual line from the Notting Hill movie goes.  Like I would know that.  It's not like I have watched that movie over and over again over the past years that it has been out.  Nah, that'd be lame.  *side eye*  Do Min Joon's response to her confession?  Silence.  Dude, that's cold.  I get it, but still man, say something.  The poor girl is suffering enough as it is.  Just freaking tell her already.  Give her all the juicy details.  Go on, I'm waiting.

I loved the part where Song Yi is having some jajjangmyeon with her closest thing to a friend bookstore lady and talking about how she needs to hold a press conference to try to clear her name and get her life back.  They've got the whole thing perfectly choreographed and worked out.  We'll see how all that goes later, huh?  It was cute.

What wasn't cute was when the prosecutor was taken down by our Psycho Killer guy and our Alien apparently framed for it.  Min Joon is waiting to hand over the incriminating USB drive to the prosecutor and gets suspicious when he doesn't show up.  He arrives on the scene just as the hospital is taking him away.  And wouldn't you know it, but Psycho himself is sitting there in his car in the parking garage just waiting for Min Joon to appear.  No words are needed, just a staring show down.

Min Joon follows Jae Kyung to a dark and deserted location.  The USB is dangled and a tranquilizer gun comes out.  Guess by making it a tranq gun, they got away with not having to blur it.  Yes, these are the things I focus on.  My apologies.  Things look bad for Min Joon.  Suspicions surrounding his true identity have been raised on multiple fronts and he needs to be careful to not reveal himself for who he is, especially with Mr Psycho himself.  But what to do?  The guy is out to kill him so that he can get to Song Yi.  Speaking of Song Yi, our dramatic show down between the two guys just so happens to involve Song Yi as well.  She, ever so adorably, is looking for any excuse to see Min Joon.  Just like before, she invents a reason to go over there (she apparently left a favorite hair band at his place) and gets all dolled up (yes, to go fetch a hair band - could she be any more obvious and adorable?).  She enters his apartment and is searching for him, going into his secret lair where Psycho's henchman just so happens to be hiding.  He is there to put some sort of will and/or suicide note on Min Joon's computer so that his murder will be assumed to be a suicide brought on by the guilt of what happened with Yoo Ra.

Back at our Mega Man Showdown, Min Joon has a gun pointed at him and a decision to make.  Well, when he knows that he must defend not only himself, but the life of Song Yi, what other choice is he going to make?  I mean, come on.  Just as the gun is fired, *POOF*, he's gone.  Jae Kyung stands there dumbfounded as he is suddenly alone.  Until Min Joon comes up behind him ever so suavely and squeeworthily and reminds him in a low, threatening voice that he, Jae Kyung, can never kill him.  Oooh!  Burn!  Such an awesome moment!  And that is where we end it for the week.  Pretty ah-maze-ing!  Loved it!

And there we have it.  Now two weeks late instead of one, since I'm finishing this wayyyy after I started writing it.  So sorry you guys.  My life has suddenly taken a crazier than normal turn and I have found absolutely zero time for watching or blogging.  We kind of sort of made the decision to try and buy a new house.  Oh, and I'm trying to get a job at the same time so that the new house can become a reality and not just a dream.  The clock is ticking and I'm so stressed and freaking out.  The whole house thing is a total secret though, so let's just keep it between us for now.  Our families don't even know yet.  Good thing none of them read my blog. ;)  I only tell you all so that you'll know why I'm such an unreliable blogger as of late.  I feel totally bad about it though because this drama is awesome and deserves better from me.  Oh life.  Life, life, life, life, life.  You can be so full of tricks and turns and surprises sometimes, can't you?  I know everyone is kinda bummed that there is only going to be one episode this week thanks to the Lunar New Year, but honestly, I cheered when I heard that because it gives me just that little bit extra help in order to hopefully do some catching up.

Until I return, back hugs and wide-eyed fish kisses!

Dongsaeng

My Love From Another Star ep 9

My very first single episode review of this drama! I am so excited! I spent a large portion of this episode gasping and squeeing and yes, even kicking my legs like a giddy little school girl and more than once at that. I have no shame in admitting it. This was an episode with many squee-and-kick worthy moments. From the kiss, to the naked sponge baths, to the very first face-to-face showdown with Mr Evil. And so much more! But we'll of course get into all that in a second here. I think I ended up getting screenshots of the whole episode. I was trying to capture our lead guy when he looked all gorgeous and hawt and stuff, and well, he was completely gorgeous and hawt throughout, so what was I to do? Anyone know of a great way to upload hundreds of photos to share? ;) Anyway, I am totally stoked to talk about and share with you the awesomeness of this episode so that we can all bask in its glory and loveliness together. So, what do you say? You game? Let's go!

 We start this episode right where we left off last week - our two leads sitting there snogging on the couch like the good alien and bratty actress that they are. I loved that this time around they interjected two things in - first, his lecture on love vs hormones in regards to skinship as well as the heart rate monitor for both of them before, during, and after the kiss. I wish there was a way to type the giddy gleeful reaction I had then and am having now as I remember the moment, so that I could truly express to you how much I loved this part. It was awesomesauce with a side of bacon. Hours later, the poor boy's heart was still racing. And then he got a fever. Looks like we now understand the reason behind the statement he made in the first episode about how he cannot exchange bodily fluids with a human. Looks like our resident alien caught a good old fashioned case of the cooties from a girl (thanks to my good friend Anne Violet who said it first!).  His spit swap gets him very ill and Song Yi gets concerned about him and even nurses him while he's ill.  And what a good nurse she is too - taking her job so seriously.  Like when she calls her only "normal" friend to ask how to treat a fever.  The friend, assuming at first that Song Yi is caring for a child and not a perfectly gorgeous grown man, instructs her to strip him naked and rub him down with warm cloths.  Song Yi's reaction to that was priceless!  And then she goes for it!  Well, she at least unbuttons his shirt and starts wiping him down with her eyes averted, but as we all know, in kdrama world, that's gotta be at least like, what, third base?  I thought it was a home run personally, but that's just me.  *rimshot*

I also loved how she got stuck in the sleeping bag and he wouldn't let her out.  Omo!  And then her new year greeting to Jang Young Mok (who she thinks is Do Min Joon's father) seriously had me in stitches.  Cheap humor?  Yeah, but still, freaking hilarious and I adored it!

We get some interesting background in this episode that I should mention.  First, the story about how Min Joon learned (the hard way) how he can't exchange fluids with humans.  It also just so happens to be how he met Young Mok.  He was working in a bank back in 1976(?) and a coworker spit in his coffee which he then drank.  Young Mok at that moment was in the bank pleading for a loan in order to save his mother.  Min Joon got sick and Young Mok didn't get the loan.  Both ended up on the roof - Young Mok to throw himself off and Min Joon in ill health.  Min Joon's abilities were hampered though thanks to the coffee sludge and so when he went to save Young Mok, it wasn't perfectly seamless and there was no hiding that something supernatural had just happened.

We also get a little insight into Song Yi's history.  She talks of her parents divorce and the misunderstanding that happened between her father and herself when she overheard her parents arguing.  It was as she was running away, completely distraught and sobbing, that she ran out in front of that truck and Min Joon saved her those 12 years ago.  She hasn't seen her father since.  Which is why she lists "stability" as her number one requirement in a man - she wants someone who will always be with her and never leave her.  Of course.  Duh.  You know, because Min Joon's time is almost up and so of course that would be the one thing that meant more to her than anything else.  And of course now he's going to feel bad because he knows he's leaving and that feelings are developing on both ends and he's going to just end up hurting her.  Or having to make the decision to stay.  He does, after all, need to protect her against Mr Evil, Jae Kyung, who has thrown down the proverbial gauntlet in this episode.

Speaking of Mr Evil, let's chat about what's going on there for a moment.  Dude just keeps on getting freakier and freakier.  It comes out that Yoo Ra had been pregnant before she was killed.  This was apparently going to be her big reveal the night of the party.  I wrongfully assumed that that was the real reason Psycho had killed her, but no.  He didn't even know.  No, he just killed her instead of dumping her.  That he dodged the whole "daddy thing" was just a lucky bonus.  This guy is so seriously scary!  And now he's after Song Yi.  As in, he is in her freaking apartment looking for her, scary creepy "where arrrre you?" and all.  A still recovering Min Joon, looking ever so dashing in his cream colored sweater by the way,

hears him in her apartment and confronts him as he exits.  And then we have the gauntlets thrown down by both men.  How amazing was it when, thinking he had won, the elevator doors open and Min Joon is standing there????  I died!

Finally, let's take tabs on who knows that something fishy is up with Min Joon.  Se Mi has it figured out that he and the mystery lifesaver from 12 years ago look oddly familiar, or you know, identical.  She has shared this tidbit now with Hee Kyung.  Even Song Yi is starting to get a little suspicious that something is different about this man.  She finds the piece of broken headlight from the car from when he saved her.  She hasn't linked the man from 12 years ago to him yet, but you know it's just gotta be a matter of time before that bombshell drops.  I am scared for when Jae Kyung knows too much.  I mean, he already knows too much for my taste, but when he knows everything, as he certainly will at some point because that's just how these things work (bad guys always have to learn someone's weakness and/or biggest secret and then use that against them), then watch out.  Se Mi's brother, the prosecutor, will probably play a role in all this somehow as well.  Which reminds me, is anyone else out there getting nervous about Miss Se Mi?  I can't fully trust her.  Is she Song Yi's friend or not?  She says she is not, yet she still usually acts like it.  I can't fully trust or distrust her at this point as her position is not entirely clear.  Will she turn out to be an enemy or will she remain loyal?  Will her brother be helpful or cause problems?  How far is Hee Kyung willing to take his "claim" on Song Yi?  At this point I can only trust Min Joon and Song Yi and Young Mok to not become antis.  On the other hand, I can only trust that Jae Kyung will remain evil.  And creepy.  The rest of the cast I am on the fence with.  I want to like them all, but until they prove themselves trustworthy, I'm going to keep them at arm's distance.

Alrighty.  That's what I have to say about that episode.  Now on to watch ep 10!  (yup, I am a day behind on my watching.  tragic, isn't it?  totes.)  See you when I return with my thoughts on that one.

Back hugs and Kdrama kisses,
~Dongsaeng~

My Love From Another Star

Hello there.  Greetings and salutations to you all.  I would like to welcome back those that have been with us before as well as welcome any who may be finding us for the first time.  New dramas often bring new readers and if that is you, well, then we're glad to have you here and hope you enjoy your stay.

Now, those that are experienced with us will probably recognize that the format for this first review will be slightly different.  Why?  Well, because the drama is nearly halfway over already of course.  Nothing like starting late, huh?  The worst part is that I had actually gotten a real good start prior to this posting and then accidentally deleted it all and was unable to recover anything that I had written.  Devastating as anyone who has gone through similar can, I'm sure, attest to.  I'm working on a laptop for the first time (yay! I so needed this for my blogging needs) and let's just say that there is a bit of a learning curve involved for an old one-trick pony such as myself.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes and eyes this time around and hoping that I don't screw up again because then I just don't know what I would do.  But enough of that, let's talk drama!

I've been mulling over the best way to do this since I decided over a week ago that I was going to make the attempt, despite being already 6 episodes behind.  Now at 8 episodes behind, I'm going to have to break from the mold a bit in order to jump in and play catch up.  Instead of episode-by-episode for those first 8 episodes, I'll just be giving a quick synopsis/review and then start in on the episode-by-episode after that.

So, My Love From Another Star, aka You Who Came From the Stars, Man From Another Star, or a handful of other options.  Some also just call it Alien for short.  It's, obviously, a show about an alien living on Earth.  Our hottie resident alien, Do Min Joon, landed on Earth back in 1609 during the Joseon Era.  He's been here ever since.  For those that don't like math, that translates into just over 400 years.  For 400 years he has roamed the Earth alone, learning and observing and collecting.  He has managed to collect quite a bit of knowledge and experience, yet he has done so with minimal human interaction.  He doesn't get involved in human issues, despite having what can only be called super powers.


He currently has one friend that knows who and what he is, a friend that ages while he does not.  A friend that is helping him tie up loose ends in these, his final 3 months on Earth.  That's right, our ET friend is finally going home.  And, after 400 years of not getting involved or tied down in human issues, would you know it, he now finds himself wrapped up in some "complications".

Meet Miss "Complications".  Our female lead, Cheon Song Yi, is a top actress at the height of her career.  She's the nation's treasure.  And she's a brat.  A total, egotistical, self-absorbed, clueless brat.  As luck (or fate) would have it, she ends up being our alien's neighbor as well as university student.  We quickly discover that there's something about this girl.  Something funny is going on here between the two of them.  When he first landed in 1609, he saved a young 15 year old widow from plunging to her death.  Only fitting since it was his space craft that blew her over the edge of the cliff in the first place.  Let me just say that that scene was the one that hooked me on this drama from the get-go.  I loved the cinematography of it all from when he stopped time (one of his super powers) and pulled her back.  The visual and the music and everything was stunning.  Anyway, so he saves her life and she in turn ends up saving his.  And, you know, dies in the process.  Right before she died, she had told him that she wished he could see her when she was a few years older.

Well, fast forward 400 years.  He's about to go home.  Since that first episode back when he was fresh on Earth, he has managed to not get involved in human affairs.  Purse gets snatched on the street?  Thief gets away.  He has learned not to muck around with life on Earth because it can change fates.  Then things get interesting.  12 years ago he sees a girl.  A girl that is the spitting image of the first girl from Joseon days.  She is about to get creamed by a truck.  He does what he normally wouldn't do and saves her.  This girl becomes our heroine.  Suddenly they are thrown back in each other's path.  Fate?  I think it's safe to assume that yes, there is some sort of fate behind all of this.  We don't know the why of it all at this point, but it's too coincidental to leave it up to just chance.  The first human he encounters and saves suddenly reappears 400 years later in his final 3 months on Earth.  Definitely not coincidence.  Even if her personality this time around is a bit altered.  He can't stand her at first.  He certainly doesn't recognize her as the girl he saved 12 years ago.  At least not at first.  By now he knows that it's her, and he's also starting to warm to her.

Here's the rundown as far as plot goes.  We have a classic love triangle.  Our lead actress has two friends from her school days - Hee Kyung and Se Mi.

Hee Kyung has forever been in love with Song Yi.  Song Yi does not reciprocate.  Se Mi, always playing second fiddle to Song Yi, of course has been wildly in love with Hee Kyung from the beginning.  Hee Kyung has an older brother, Jae Kyung, who turns out to be this evil murderer dude.

When actress and rival of Song Yi, Han Yoo Ra, gets too close (as in she wants to marry Mr Psycho), he kills her and frames it as a suicide, to which Song Yi is then blamed for causing, thanks to the bad blood between the two women.  Confused yet?  Well, it gets better.  Se Mi has an older brother who is the prosecutor for the case.

You know, because apparently the whole concept of "conflict of interest" holds no weight in dramaland.  Song Yi's life has fallen apart thanks to the death of Yoo Ra, and now she is in danger herself as she gets too close to accidentally uncovering bits of the truth.  She has already survived a couple of attempts on her life, thanks to the heroics of her alien neighbor.

Granted, all this is just the tip of the iceberg.  A lot has happened in these first 8 episodes, but this should get us up to speed, generally.  Now, why am I loving this drama so far?  Well, aside from the drop-dead smoldering gorgeousness of Mr Alien (seriously, why couldn't he have looked this good in most of Dream High?), my biggest draw is in the characters themselves.  I love the interaction between Do Min Joon and Cheon Song Yi.  They are really good together.  There is humor.  There is sexiness.  There is mystery and intrigue.  There's a psycho that's close to the main characters, yet goes unnoticed as the psycho.  There's just so much to love.

I got some screenshots from the last little bit of ep 8 because I couldn't let this one go without at least something.  The end of episode 8 gave us a wonderful kiss scene all in the name of chemistry.  And chemistry they have!  Wow!  And this isn't even their first kiss. Nope, not this one either.

I finally finished watching the movie The Thieves that just so happens to star these two main leads in it as well.  Chemistry - they had it then and they have it now.  Wanna see?  Duh, of course you do.  What kind of silly question is that?

From The Thieves

15 Second Chemistry Challenge from MLFAS

Double swoon, right?  I adore these quirky characters and what is happening between them.  These first 8 episodes have been a very awesome ride so far and I eagerly look forward to the final 12.  Who's with me?

Thanks for sticking with me.  I know this first review is kind of lame-o.  The next ones should be better.  I hope.  I swear as soon as I say that I always end up jinxing myself, so I won't make any promises, except that I have every intention of improvements from here on out.  ;)  Two more days until episode 9!  Woohoo!  At least that is one thing we can all anticipate together!

Heirs THE FINALE (ep 20) MiXeD bAg

As I come to the end of this drama, I am filled with an assortment of thoughts and feelings, some positive, some unsure, and yes, even some kind of sad.  I think that this one will take me some time to process.  I think it's going to take me some time to even say that I liked it.  There were things I liked, but things that left me feeling...empty.  I hate feeling empty.  Or unresolved.  At the same time, I'm also glad they didn't just give everyone a perfectly wrapped "happily ever after" either.  I am also willing to admit that I was half wrong about my previous wager that they would pull a "x years later" with us.  Half wrong-ish.  I'll argue that a fantasy 10 years later still sort of counts, even if not completely.  But more on that part in a bit.  For now, let's back up, start at the beginning and dissect this, our final episode.

1.  A Good Portion of the Episode Was Spent on This...

...but I'm only going to give it a blip of a mention here.  The takeover attempt by Fake Mom while Papa Jeguk is in a coma.  Kim Tan and Kim Won both rally and go after votes for their side.  It pays off in the end, as Kim Won manages to maintain his position as CEO and Papa Jeguk as company head.  Fake Mom loses and not very gracefully I may add.  When Papa Jeguk finally awakens and hears about what she did while he was sleeping, he wants a divorce.  She's good with that, but mostly because she knows that she'll still get half of what he has in the end anyway, so while she didn't get the whole of what she was after, she's not walking away empty handed.  Well, in her defense, she has had her husband's mistress and love child under her roof for 18 years, so I guess she's owed something out of such an awful situation.

2.  Kim Won

Part of the process to secure the company resulted in Kim Won having to agree to an arranged marriage with a business partner.  Yeah, really.  I kept hoping that he would have refused when she proposed the deal, but no, he said yes, and intended to go through with it.  This ended in a heartbreaking break up with Teacher Hyun Joo.  And later, a soul crushing scene with him alone at his desk, sobbing.  His life is a lonely one.  At least he has made peace with his brother, as witnessed by him asking Kim Tan to stay so that he'll be less lonely.  This boy...his story just devastates me.  What he has lost and lived through all in the name of "privilege" and "power".  Is it worth it?  His mother died.  His step-mother isn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type.  His dad is an ass.  He has this half-brother that is obviously loved more.  This half-brother is not only loved more, but gets to live with his bio mom and have a relationship.  Who does Kim Won have?  No one.  Sure, he finds love, only to have it stripped away from him.  And unlike his brother, he is unable to hold onto that love once it's been stripped away.  Yes, Kim Won's story truly is painful and so very sad to witness.

3.  Young Do

Speaking of tragic characters, let's chat about Young Do for a moment.  Arguably this character stole the show.  I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that his story drew me in even more than our lovable leads.  Things don't improve much for him in the finale either.  He starts off with his dad going to jail.  Now, as far as his father goes, there is some redemption here.  As he is being carted off to jail, he leaves a message behind for his son, a message that contradicts with his earlier teachings.  He tells his son to not try to win by cheating.  I'm glad to see him at least start to see the error of his ways and try to turn things around for himself.  Sure, it took losing everything in order for him to see the light, but hey, better a death bed confession than none at all, right?  It was nice to see father and son begin to repair their very broken relationship.

So, he loses the girl and dad goes to jail.  But hey, it's not all bad news for Young Do.  He does finally get to reunite with his mother.  Now there's one that I would like to have a talk with.  I can understand her leaving.  I've seen the kind of man she married and can only imagine what being his wife was like.  I'm sure life was Hell for her.  I get that.  But to leave your kid behind with no way of contacting him???  To just abandon him to the very monster you yourself are running from?  What sense does that make.  So while I'm happy that he found his mother, there was part of me that was really upset by it.

Oh, and how awesome was he when he went to find and apologize to that kid that he bullied?  I know that the kid didn't forgive him, but I was so proud of him for having the courage and guts to do what he did in trying to right his wrongs.  What an impressive young man, don't you think?  I love him.  I truly do.  Which is a big reason why this episode bothered me because we don't get to see him of all people have his happily ever after.  Things do definitely improve and there is hope for happiness in his future, but I just wanted a little more positive resolution for him.  I wanted to see him find a girl I guess.  Not Eun Sang obviously (though yes there is a part of me that still would have loved to see that, but I'll silence her out of respect for our OTP), but someone good and kind and decent that would see him for the amazing man that he is underneath his troubled exterior.  I'm just a sap that way I guess.

4.  The Body

Remember the great mystery of the outline of the body that appears every morning at Jeguk High?  Who is behind it?  Well, we finally get the answer.  Everyone.  Everyone is behind it.  Eun Sang sees multiple people painting it as some form of release in their stifling world.  These are kids with big, real world issues on their shoulders, kids that have to live partly in an adult world before they are truly ready to bear the weight.  Kids that don't get to be kids.  Kids that the world sees as privileged and fortunate and enviable, but have difficulties to endure that most kids couldn't dream of.  I was somewhat confused on the exact meaning of the body, but my take on it was that is was a way for them to vent their frustration with the different aspects within their lives, kind of like saying in a very subtle yet dramatic way, "this is killing me" or "I may as well be dead".  Or even "I wish I was not alive".  "My world is killing me".

5.  Other Notables
There are a few other characters to wrap up with not yet mentioned.  First, Secretary Yoon.

If you'll remember from #3 up there, I am an admitted sap.  I wanted to see Secretary Yoon and Esther Lee reunite in the end.  I also wanted Secretary Yoon to be revealed as Rachel's father.  Sadly, neither of these wishes came true.  This was certainly one of the things that left me feeling empty in the end.  The end to their story was anti-climatic.  And it started out so promising with that make-out in the hallway way back when in one of the early episodes.  Sigh.  Oh well.  I guess we can't always get what we want.  Boo.

I loved the scene with father and son fishing together.  Their relationship is awesome.  Do you think that it's coincidence that our two healthiest child/parent relationships come from the two poorest (or most "normal") families?  I think that if anything, the message trying to be driven home by this drama is, "be careful what you wish for" or "the grass isn't always greener on the other side".

Another character I wanted to mention is poor troubled and dark Hyo Shin.  He has struggled with the expectations placed upon him by his family.  That and the lack of authenticity from them he receives.  We learned earlier that in the past he was driven to attempt suicide.  Now he just rebels by not taking the college entrance exam.  When even that neglects to get a rise out of his parents, he really loses it.  I will admit to not fully grasping what is going on in his world, but it would seem to me as if he is desperate to be seen as who he is and not just some soulless extension of his parents that they can manipulate and control whatever way they see fit.  It's like they have created this facade with certain expectations and cannot accept him not towing the family line.  He doesn't want to rebel and do "bad" things, he just wants to live his life his way.  He wants to make movies.  I guess he was accepted to an art school or something, but his parents don't support his dream, they just want him to quietly obey theirs.  Anyway, so he runs away from home and joins the army.  Guess who he tells first?  Uh huh, Rachel.  After running into her at the psychiatrist's office.  I LOVE this budding romance!  Like when she asks him if he has a girl waiting for him and he answers contemplatively, "I don't know" like, "well that all depends on you - are you waiting for me?  I think I might like you to".  They never come out and make anything official, but it's obvious both are thinking about each other.  Those must have been some pretty awesome kisses at that party!  And may I just add, he looks fanfreakingtastic in that beanie by the way?  Wowzers!  Yumm!  His bromance moment with Kim Tan was some wonderful fan service, and so as a fan, I feel it important to say thank you.  From the bottom of my very happy fangirl heart, thank you for this part.

6.   10 Years in the Future

So we don't actually go in to the future, but we do get a glimpse of it in the form of a fantasy.  Kim Tan and Eun Sang are talking about what they imagine life might be like 10 years down the road.  Kim Tan pictures a party and all the people there.  Most everyone is happy, or happy-ish.  Bo Na and My Chan are still together, silly and adorable as ever.  Rachel and Hyo Shin are still flirting with each other.  Myung Soo is still in the military because he left so late.  Kim Won is still heading the company and rocking his suit, though I'm less sure about the hair.  Young Do is doing important things for his father's company and seems to have a better relationship these days with him.  Papa Jeguk is still alive and kicking and seems a bit nicer than before.  Secretary Yoon is still there smiling and happy.  Fake Mom is also still there which is puzzling to me.  Maybe that means that they didn't get a divorce after all?  Or else it means Kim Tan doesn't yet know about the impending divorce?  Or maybe it's just because she's a big enough actress that it was required that she be in one of the final scenes even if her presence there made no sense story-wise.  Whatever.  She was there.  Real Mom and Eun Sang's mom were also there, having one of their trademark hilarious interactions as usual.  This time it was Tan's mom realizing for the first time after all these years that Eun Sang's mom, who she has always called "ahjumma", is actually younger than her.  These two ladies crack me up so I'm glad they got one last scene together before the end.

And then, Kim Tan.  Wearing a pretty atrocious "suit", I suppose showing us that his stylist doesn't change in these 10 years?  Seriously, he looked like someone skinned a really ugly couch and made his outfit.  It's Lee Min Ho, so he still looks perfect, but golly, it was hard to see him beyond that "stuff" he was wearing.  He walks in to his room and standing there of course (in a beautiful dress unlike his hideous monstrosity) is Eun Sang.  He goes over to her and kisses her.  And we finally get the truth revealed in an unequivocable and inarguable way - Park Shin Hye truly cannot kiss.  In the past kisses it could be argued that it was the character's resistance to his affections that caused the pained and sick looks on her face, but in this scene that argument is dead.  In this scene they have been in love for over 10 years.  She should be used to, and welcoming of his kisses by now.  But she just stands there.  Lee Min Ho's lips are on hers and she just.stands.there.  Her chance for redemption in this is gone and cannot be reclaimed.  Her fate and label is unalterably set.  She is officially the worst kisser in Kdom.  I hate to be so harsh on the girl, but OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  It's just SO BAD that it is impossible NOT to talk about.  She is the Kristen Stewart of Korea.  Harsh, man, harsh, I know, but can we deny it any longer?  It kills me to say it so bluntly, because I really do want to just love her, but agh!  There's no use pretending anymore - I don't know if I can watch her for awhile after this year.  I'm not saying that I'm done with her forever, but I need a break.  Let's let her do some movies or something for a bit.  Or like I've said before, put her in a drama where her strengths will shine and her weaknesses be invisible.  They exist.  There are PERFECT roles for her out there.  Playing opposite of guys like Yoon Shi Yoon and Lee Min Ho though?  No.  Just no.  Stop the madness already.  It's only going to hurt her career to keep trying.  She's proven that she can't do it, so stop making her.  Plenty of dramas have important roles that are kiss-free.  Put her in one of those, let her cry and be all angsty, and keep her lips away from hot guys.  Is that too much to ask?

7.  The End

After our 10 Years Later fantasy, we get one final closing scene with our leading couple walking hand-in-hand through the snow and being all philosophical and deep talking about that year when they were 18 when they fell in love and all the pain and triumphs that came with it.  And then -- it's over.  20 episodes, 10 weeks of Heirs comes to a close.  And I don't have much else to say on it than what I've already said.  Overall, it was good.  I liked it.  Favorite drama of the year?  No.  It really wasn't.  I wish I could say that it was, but I just can't.  Would I watch it again?  Hard to say at this point.  There are certainly many parts I would love to watch again, but the whole thing with all its angst and torment?  I don't know if I could endure it again.  I do think that the cast (Park Shin Hye's glaring kiss issue aside) did a phenomenal job.  Our leads were wonderful and our supporting cast ah-mazing.  It was a fun ride, one that I'm glad I took, and that's what is important.

So, in closing, I would just like to say thank you for going along on this journey with me.  I hope you had fun.  I even hope that your experience with this final episode left you feeling less empty than it left me.  Maybe I was just having an off day.  You never know.  I haven't heard or seen any negative chatter about it, which I'm taking as a good sign.  Granted, I haven't gone looking for it either, but normally it's not hard to find even when you're not looking for it.  To the cast and crew, because of course they're totally going to see this *eye roll*, I thank you.  To DramaFever, thanks for subbing it so fast and for whatever other roles you took on, but seriously, let's try to not do this whole "exclusive" thing again because it kind of hurts your image and I'm getting tired of always defending you.  Totally selfish of me, I know, but there you have it.  Just keeping it real and passing on my "inside information" from a viewer's perspective (i.e. I have a lot of REALLY ticked off friends).  And finally, to you, my dear readers old and new, thank you for your comments and encouragement and feedback.  Thank you for spending time with us here.  It's always wonderful to hear from you guys!  Makes this labor of love rewarding.

Now, on to the next drama!

(and yes, I say that like I know what the next one will be for me, but no, I really don't have any idea yet, but I'll let you know when I do)
  

Heirs ep 19 - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Well, well, well... here we are.  Closing out yet another drama together.  This was arguably the most anticipated drama of 2013.  Now that it's coming to an end, what are your thoughts?  Did it live up to the hype?  Did this all-star cast deliver?  What did you love?  What would you change?  What will be your takeaway from these 10 weeks?  I suppose we still have a bit more time to figure all that out, there is, after all, one more episode to go.  I would hate to get ahead of ourselves here.

This episode was filled with plenty of ups, but also plenty of downs.  Headways were made, yet threatened to be lost.

First, the happy.  Our lead couple.  Our dear OTP.  After bravely walking hand-in-hand into Kim Tan's birthday bash, Tan and Eun Sang finally get what they've been after all along - sort of.  While they don't get his blessings per se, they do get Papa Kim tossing in the towel and ending the battle.  They are now free to date, he won't stop them.  He figures they'll figure out sooner or later that he was right and they were wrong and they'll come to regret their decision.  Or so he says.  Saving face or finally starting to see the light?  Who knows.  He's a hard one to read.  I would hope that at least in part he's finally starting to come around and realize just what his tactics are costing him in the end.  Look how pathetic his life has become.  He's in an awful marriage, his mistress has left him, and both sons hate him.  What does he have left besides the company and his money?  The question begs to be asked if that's okay with him or not.  Is his company/money all that he truly desires and seeks?  Does he have any shred of humanity left in him that craves love and family?  I don't know.  I hope that the next episode answers that and in a way that I will like, but I'm not holding my breath.  He's given us so little to hang our hopes on up to this point.

Anyway, so yeah, Kim Tan and Eun Sang are finally an official couple and "out" to the world.  Once they overcome the hurdle of getting Eun Sang's mother's permission of course.  This whole scene with the moms reuniting and then Eun Sang's mother's refusal to allow her daughter to date Kim Tan was so cute and amusing.  Those two ahjummas just make me smile.  They are adorable together.  After a silly show put on by just about everyone involved, the green light is given on Eun Sang's side at last, thus overcoming the final hurdle in their young relationship.  Now the fun really begins.

Okay, so it's no big secret that I've been sort of lukewarm on these two for the entire drama.  I don't hate them together by any means, I've just been kind of bored by the endless angst.  Now that the angst is behind us, we get to see them shine like never before.  Sure, we had glimpses all along, but nothing like what their newfound freedom brings.  They really are cute together.  I love their fighting and arguing and playfulness.  The interplay between them is fun to watch.  It's like someone has finally shone a happy light on the dark, depressing halls of Jeguk High.  Tensions are relieved, smiles seen and laughter heard.  Kids are being kids.  It's been a long time coming and I know that I for one am happy to finally see it.

Of course, all the happy feels couldn't last indefinitely.  We still have a whole episode in front of us.  Things take a turn for the complicated when Papa Kim falls suddenly ill.  He's there, alone in his big empty house, having a moment of reflection on what a crap dad he was, when he grabs his head and passes out.  Interesting to see what happens next.  Who rushes to his side not moments after claiming that they are forever done with him?  Both brothers and the mistress.  Who is conspiculously missing?  The wife.  Now, in her defense, that woman actually has every right to be royally pissed off at her husband and her life in general.  How much would it suck to have your husband still in love with his dead first wife plus shacking up with his mistress and their love child?  You literally have no skin in this game other than that piece of paper that shows you are legally bound to this man.  She must have a sad and miserable existence, so I don't want to be too harsh on her.  Her life sucks.  She's got money and some power and that's it.  Other than that, she's empty.  Still though, her husband lies in a coma and she's trying to secure the business for herself while stripping both brothers of it.  She has a meeting and looks to be turning to all of Papa Kim's relatives that lost out in the previous battle for company control.  It was an ugly war, Papa Kim was the victor, but if they choose to act, he may not remain as such.  That crown could be lost, and by golly, she's going to do what she can to take it from him.

And finally, what review of Heirs would be complete without talking about my Young Do?  Our dark knight with such deep scars that has, at least in my little opinion, stolen this show.  Poor guy's having a rough time.  He's lost his girl.  His dad's company is in big trouble.  He misses his mom.  A few things take a positive turn for him though in this episode and are certainly worth mentioning.  First, he jumps from being #98 to #27 in his class rank.  Turns out that actually taking the exam and not just doodling on it makes a bit of a difference (Kim Tan was #50 which pleased him greatly when he found out he was average).  Second, after working diligently with this one goal in mind, he finally bests his dad on the sparring mat.  And he does so without cheating.  Dad admits defeat and offers up to his son a reward - any favor he wants.  What does Young Do ask for?  He wants to know where his mother is.  To his relief, Dad doesn't actually know.  Sad that he can't get answers, but still a relief to know that it wasn't something that was being kept from him out of spite.  Thank goodness for even small victories, huh?  Poor Young Do.  The third event from this episode in Young Do's world worth mentioning is that, after a chance meeting with the waitress at the little cafe, Young Do gets what would appear to be his mother's business card left for him by her.  Talk about a major clue literally being handed to him.  He has yet to act upon this new information, but I suspect that that will be something that comes up in the finale.

Those were my stand-out mentionable moments from episode 19.  Progress was made, yet the victory not totally secured yet.  There is still a battle to be waged and things to settle before we can bid these characters farewell and adieu.  One thing's for sure, it promises to be an interesting wrap up party still to come, don't you think?  Who wants to take wages on the guess that there will be a "x years later" involved in the end?  I'm betting on it.  Whenever you go into a final episode with these many things still left unresolved, it's pretty much a given that the whole "x years later" will come into play.  I understand why they do it - they have to keep tensions high so you come back for the dramatic conclusion, but really...do we have to leave so many ends untied here writers?  We'll see if I'm right or if I'm right.  That's just my guess of course.  I could always be proven wrong.

Stay tuned and I'll see you back here after our dramatic conclusion!

   

Heirs ep 18 Reunited and It Feels So Good

After more angst, drama and sad feels, Kim Tan and Eun Sang once again reunite when Eun Sang returns to school with the help of Kim Won.

The end.

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Okay, fine, so there was more, but that's the crux of it for you in one simple sentence.  There are of course other moments worth mentioning though in addition to that.  Like Kim Tan's mother leaving his father after a nasty argument where he shows oh so clearly what a nasty piece of work he truly is.  Wow.  If there was any room to hate the man more, this episode should have cinched it.  He really was a Class A1 jerk of a jerk.  The jerkiest of jerks I have ever seen.  Tan's mom is all set to leave when he pulls a switcheroo on her, in essence trying to have his goons kidnap her and ship her off to who-knows-where.  She manages to escape, hopping in a cab and driving to the school.  In a scene that was obviously reminiscent of when Young Do's mom leaves, Momma Tan begs Young Do to help her find her son.  Sensing that something is really wrong here, Young Do does just that - he immediately bolts and goes running to find Tan.  Thankfully (?) these boys have been down this road before, only in reverse, so Tan instantly listens to his former friend/foe/it's complicated (unlike Young Do did in the past when the shoe was on the other foot) and is able to see his mother as she is running away from Dad's goons, and hops in the car with her.

Another interesting moment is when we see Kim Won and Teacher Hyun Joo in bed together.  Huh.  So, safe to assume that they aren't all that broken up.  Well, that's good.  I'm glad.  There's an exchange where Kim Won is comparing himself to his brother.  Tan at this point is still in self-destruct mode.  Won's goal is to achieve what he wants a different way.  Whereas little brother is throwing his life away in rebellion, big brother sees that he needs to win by reaching the top.  Hyun Joo supports him in this and looks like she's just waiting for him to get there.  Good news for Won, not so good news for young Hyo Shin, but that's okay, he's young, he'll love again.

Ready to have your heart ripped to shreds a bit more?  How about the scene where Young Do goes to Eun Sang's seaside home and has a meal with her mother?  When asked his relationship with her daughter, he replies, through thinly veiled tears and a choked up voice, that he likes her.  I wish we had seen what happened after that because I'm very curious to know just how she reacted to that little revelation.  Daughter Dearest has two very rich and very handsome young suitors.  It's like a mother's dream come true.  Too bad these darling boys come with so much baggage attached that you can find yourself buried underneath it all if you're not careful.

Another heartbreaking Young Do moment for me was when he sees the note written on the wall by his mother for him, asking him how he is.  His reply?  "Not good.  I'm not doing well at all."  Rip, tear, shred, and stomp on my heart, why dontcha?  That and the "break up" scene he has with Eun Sang.  Ouch!  This poor kid better get a happy ending.  There actually is still a part of me that wishes he had gotten the girl, but I know that that just isn't going to happen, so I hope at least that his resolution in this story makes up for it.

Those are the main points that I wanted to mention about episode 18.  I love how Kim Tan's father is douche-bagging his way out of every single relationship he's in.  He has no one on his side that he isn't paying.  They've all turned on him.  And he's earned it.  What an awful man, husband, and father he is.  So next week is it folks.  The end of Heirs.  What will happen?  What kind of ending will we get?  How will love conquer all?  How will these train wrecks of chaebol families fair?  Will Park Shin Hye prove to all us naysayers once and for all that actually, yes, in truth she can pull off a decent snog?  Two more days and we'll be on our way to learning all this and more!  Finale week!  Fighting!!!